Doug. As we drool over and debate our guitars, always keep in mind the one really important factor in all of this. The Player! I have an acquaintance who has gone through several quality instruments. They ALL sound like crapola in this person's hands. Sometimes I guess it's much more daunting to actually learn touch, sensitivity and control, than to just keep hunting down new instruments and hoping for a miracle.

The Hummingbird is a good buy, investment-wise, but most of the ones that I've seen (from the 60s to the 80s) are really overbuilt (Gibsons reaction to having to do too many warranty jobs) and don't seem to have much output. The new ones are okay but certainly don't sound as good as new Taylors, Collings' Martins or Santa Cruzs'. I've also seen evidence that their necks may twist. Also depends on how you feel about the decorated pick-guards.

Rick